Condors, Presidents and Homemade Cheese with Fernando at Hacienda Zuleta in Ecuador
Interview and edit by Rebecca Woolford, Senderos
To encapsulate the richness, diversity and magic of a place dating from the late 16th Century into a concise title felt impossible. Settling for an ambiguous one quickly felt like the best place to begin such a story.
From a ground-breaking conservation programme to bring back Condors from the edge of extinction, an on-site cheese house which produces no less than 19 delicious cheeses, to a rich family history spanning 140 years there is no place on earth quite like Hacienda Zuleta in Ecuador.
Fernando Polanco (see below) a larger than life character with more passion than most people you’ll ever meet all put together, he is the energy and idea power house behind the scenes. Despite plans to retire, Fernando’s vision for a better world endures and his dedication to his grandfather’s legacy holds stronger than ever.
Senderos’ stories celebrate the positive impact travel can bring to both people and places, and Senderos Partner Hacienda Zuleta is a leading example of a force for good in tourism.
It was back in 1948 when your grandfather, then president of Ecuador, was first talking about the importance of protecting the environment. How did he shape Hacienda Zuleta’s mission and values?
“Although my grandfather passed away 37 years ago he is always present. Guiding me like a compass. He was very private and did not like to show off or make grand speeches, yet everybody still talks about him today in politics and diplomacy.
My grandfather left us a clear road for us to follow at Zuleta, we are committed to the environment, and the surrounding communities. It is not something that we say to impress or to speak on trend, it’s a part of who we are, it’s in our DNA!
Hacienda Zuleta’s strong roots were established by my grandparents , it’s not a static place we are always growing and evolving through the inevitability of change.
The core principles here include being responsible to nature, and to the local indigenous communities that call it home. Our decisions and choices should always be working towards making the world a better place. Somewhere along the way, it seems to me that some people in the modern fast-paced world have forgotten this sense of humanity.
At 62 I’m ready to retire and I’m thinking about how best to guide the next generation, to help them better understand what responsibility for this place looks/feels like.
I see life as a river, with steep waterfalls, still waters, and large rocks, you must learn to navigate it all. At 62 I still love a challenge! I’ve learned that the key to life is to go with the flow, but always one should be ready to stop,and see where you are, and if necessary be ready to change course .”
Hacienda Zuleta was named one of the world’s top 10 finds by Outside Magazine. You were named one of the best Ecuadorian hotels by National Geographic. What is it that makes it so special?
“Hacienda Zuleta and the surrounding 2,000 acres have been in my family for 140 years.
My grandfather, a former president of Ecuador, an incredible man, was the first landowner to establish rural education in Ecuador in his properties. He was the first to start health care in the farms and the surrounding communities. He established family planning options for a better planning for the families, this was in the 1940s.
And with all this rich history, guests feel it when they stay here.
We had a guest about 4 years ago who’d been privileged enough to travel the world. He’d witnessed the most incredible places, including the depths of the ocean to see the Titanic. Twice! He shared that Hacienda Zuleta is the only place he would ever come back to on land.
The energy of this place is totally unique. We are a home away from home, but not as a clitch, most of our guests understand almost immediately upon arrival, or put differently, they understand themselves better within this safe, warm space.
Deep in the Ecuadorian Andes, our 17th Century manor house of 21 rooms is also a working farm and is located at 9,000 feet. We have horses and endangered species including condors.
Our guests are welcomed in the afternoon for some cheese and wine tasting in the main living room, often with cosy socks or slippers, this is the essence of this place, a real home away from home.
Beyond the ‘energy’ of the place, I like to dream big and make things more beautiful than they have to be, like an artist.
For example we are building a relaxation centre, with a small pool, and Andean soaking tub. My vision was to create a sky experience in which the ceiling would open, so our guests relaxing in the warm pool could see the sparkling stars at night or feel the falling rain. The steam bath has a dome ceiling with constellations.
Not just any spa experience, it’s a Fernando Zuleta Spa with a difference!”
Much more than a farm and hotel, Hacienda Zuleta is fiercely committed to conservation, which includes the groundbreaking work with the endangered condor birds in Ecuador. When did it all start?
“Some people don’t know that we’re hosts to the only two breeding pairs of captive condors in Ecuador.
We started the Condor project in 1994 before the first guest arrived at Zuleta. I say this because it wasn’t made as an attraction for guests. The foundation largely continues from generous donations from our guests and the contribution from our business.
The condor is the world’s largest flying bird, it is one of the most majestic birds to witness in the wild and it is extremely vulnerable to extinction.
Their devastating decline is caused by a combination of habitat loss and a lack of public education. They face a long list of threats from ingesting lead bullet fragments from human hunted animals to humans shooting them as trophies or to keep as pets; some ranchers see them as a threat to their livestock and they put the poison inside the dead animals so the condors will die..
Two years ago, six Condors were poisoned in one terrible event.
Earlier this year one of the captive pairs had their offspring, which we named Mula. The mother was keen to continue reproducing so she kicked the chick out of the nest, so we took that chick to another aviary where the other three young chicks were resting. We hope to have another egg in 49 days.
Our organisation, and all the Condor experts have decided upon a long term strategic plan to increase the number of breeding pairs for another 10-15 years before we plan to release them into the wild.
We also have registered 69 wild spectacled bears in the area which we have observed for four generations, two of them are tagged with collars to support further research.
We have 22 critically endangered species here, from the smallest mammal to the megafauna. We welcome students and biologists here to study not only the flagship species like the bear and the condor, but also champion the lesser-known species like the dwarf deer, and Andean grass blind mouse.
It is very sad because it’s us humans encroaching on the last remaining territories that these species call home. Education is paramount. We don’t have any time to lose.
Feral dogs are one of the key challenges to address in this region, people who don’t take care of their dogs end up in the forest and negatively impact the delicate ecosystem.”
Beyond the incredible conservation work, Hacienda Zuleta runs a non-profit foundation called the ‘Gallo Plaza Lasso Foundation’ founded in 1995. Its mission is to improve the quality of life of the inhabitants of Zuleta and surrounding indigenous communities. What kind of projects do you run?
“The foundation is small but strives to have a big impact, it was named after my grandfather, Gallo Plaza Lasso.
It was his bold, bright vision that first began protecting the ecosystem here as far back as the 1940s. He studied in California where there was a water problem and he brought all that knowledge back.
The foundation helped the community to create a protective area that produces fresh water. This water project now receives almost $45,000 a year from the government for environmental services.
We believe this was the first community in Ecuador to do this, many have since followed suit creating a ripple effect of goodness.
Today this foundation works across many different areas, disciplines and needs of the communities from water treatment to music school.
The first goal of the music school was to create a children’s choir with the accompaniment of instruments such as guitars, keyboards and percussion. We partnered with one of our guests from Spain who helped fund the choir and instruments.
We also host a scholarship program to support boys and girls from the community who would otherwise struggle to cover the cost of their uniforms, shoes, school supplies, backpack and the annual fees requested by schools. The goal of this initiative is to encourage more children from Zuleta to finish their school year; more than 55 have benefited so far.
Over 60 years ago Hacienda Zuleta hosted its first embroidery workshop. This Embroidery project evolved and has since provided work and critical training to more than 300 women from Zuleta and the surrounding communities, generating an income of these women and their families. These embroiderers have since become independent. Now, they have their own workshops and stores.”
Since the pandemic tourism has returned to many places. However, in Ecuador the situation has been a little more challenging which greatly impacts stays like Hacienda Zuleta. Would you like to touch on this topic and share some insights?
“Yes, I would love to touch on this delicate topic, it’s important to talk about.
Ecuador has been named a drug hub in the media and yes we are a country tackling the growing influence of drug cartels, alongside many other countries. As a small country we don’t have the budgets the US or France have to fight this destructive industry.
Anyway, along comes a president who wants to face the issues head on, and the sensationalism portrayed in the media has real consequences.
In places like Zuleta nothing has changed, there is no danger here. I would like to remind people who’d like to visit that the vast majority of Ecuador is peaceful, safe and beautiful. It’s a magical, biodiverse place. I am in love with this country.
After the pandemic, we returned to healthy visitor numbers within 3 months at Zuleta, and then almost overnight Ecuador was all over the news and we are still feeling the effects now.
In New York, you wouldn’t go into the middle of the Bronx with jewellery on display. It’s the same here. Yes there are places to avoid, and there are equally places that are safe and out of this world. I’m going to use Colombia’s famous saying: ‘The only danger of visiting is that you’ll want to stay longer’.
A hugely positive outcome since the pandemic is that more Ecuadorians are visiting places like Zuleta, whereas before we only welcomed international tourists. We want to continue to host guests from this country, as well as welcome those from other parts of the world.”
What’s next for Hacienda Zuleta?
“At 62, I’m ready to plant more seeds of potential.
IWe plan to build a new hotel, and a glamping site within the 2,000 acres at Zuleta. With peaceful gardens, green pasturelands, mountain lakes and vast swathes of protected primary forest where endangered spectacled bears roam wild, there is so much opportunity to reconnect people to nature and protect this ecosystem for future generations.
The second hotel would play host to a different kind of energy as it would have to be constructed from zero. Hacienda Zuleta, the main manor, will always be a beautiful place of rich history and stories in contrast.
My vision is a place where people can enjoy spectacular nature views, nourishing food, regeneration of nature and peace.
I don’t want to be stuck in a care home. I want to be present for my kids, grandkids, and I hope, great, great grandkids. I might be old, but I will continue to be relevant and useful.”
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